2 festivals, 1 weekend: get the best of both
Gauley River National Recreation Area is THE place to be in the fall! Especially the 1 weekend 2 festivals bring in the best of mountain wine and whitewater!
So pack up your camping gear and head to the hills near Summersville every 3rd weekend in September for a weekend of Gauley Fest and the Grape Stompin’ Festival!
Gauley Fest
Water released from the Summersville Dam swells the world-class Gauley River’s rapids, creating some of the wildest whitewater rafting in the east.
The celebration of this epic whitewater has grown into the largest paddling festival in the world. Come out to Nicholas County Veterans Memorial Park for a fun-filled weekend of paddling and live music.
There’s a whitewater marketplace, raffle and silent auction for outdoor gear. Meet the top pros and browse the best gear in the industry. You might even win big prizes from the dozens of giveaways— even a new boat!
Admission includes free camping, so you can sit around the fire and listen to wild tales of from the river pioneers. Fido can join, too (for an extra fee.)
Grape Stompin’ Festival
Get barefoot and have a “grape” time at Kirkwood Winery’s annual Grape Stomping Festival.
Kids and adults alike can stomp grapes in the grape pit all day, or stuff their faces in the grape-eating contest. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy live mountain music and dance. Check out the covered wagon rides, craft vendors and door prize drawings for goodies like whitewater rafting trips and zipline canopy tours from Adventures on the Gorge.
And of course, there are tours and tastings of Kirkwood’s wines and Isaiah Morgan Distillery whiskeys (Note: No whiskey sales on Sunday). You’ll get a free tasting glass with admission, so you can sample the nearly 40 unique mountain flavors, like ginseng, blackberry or even wild ramp onion!
This post was last updated on July 28, 2020